Testimonies from some of our clients
regarding our language trips to Cienfuegos
(Faro Luna near the beach)

Faro Luna is the preferred venue over Rancho Luna for a wonderful, attractive and quiet country (rustic) setting for Spanish study with dedicated, patient, empathetic teachers in small groups well screened for comparable ability. The site is somewhat isolated (10 CUC taxi to Cienfuegos), but one can soon learn to get around and interact with the small Cuban rural population and hence experience the "real" Cuba. Anglophones should note that this location with departure from Dorval-Trudeau is patronized almost entirely by francophones (no problema pour moi parce que je peux parler français et causer et partager comme les autres) and they could feel somewhat isolated, although as a group everyone is very friendly and accommodating.
G. N., Canada

I recommend this Spanish Immersion trip to anyone who wants to learn Spanish and practise with exceptional teachers in a very friendly atmosphere.
C. B., Canada

Beyond learning Spanish and the culture this Spanish Immersion trip was a beautiful experience of human contact. When we're there we don't want to leave.
J. L., Canada.

A good way to learn Spanish! The location is good to practise what we have learned. I've gained enough confidence to converse easily. Excellent!
P. C., Canada

I came back from a two week Spanish Immersion at Faro Luna. The location is wonderful, the hotel comfortable with a quiet environment. There's the song of the cock to get up and the sound of the waves to fall asleep. The hotel staffs is careful, teachers are competent and devoted. The guide is dynamic and cheerful. The food is healthy but there is a lack of variety. Nothing is perfect! I'll probably be back!
M.L.M., Canada

The course was so good that I am coming back for a three week trip 40 days after my first experience.
H. C., Canada

I am delighted with my stay in Cuba. The teachers are excellent and very friendly. The place is really pleasant. I'll come back next year.
R. R., Canada

Trip really pleasant and extremely well organized. A very good value for the price! Ariel, the guide, as well as the teachers, are excellent and really devoted. High quality teaching, nice friendships and unforgettable trip!
L. T., Canada

In January 2005 we hardly knew a word of Spanish. Now we can have a conversation with our 3 first levels of Spanish. A lot of work, of course but we were motivated and had the support of the extraordinary and devoted teachers team.
H. C., Canada

I found all what I needed. I recommended this Spanish Immersion trip to many friends and acquaintance. Well done. Dynamicand enjoying.
M. L., Canada

I loved my stay at Cienfuegos at the Faro Luna hotel. I enjoyed going to my class with Ernesto. He is a great teacher. All the cultural activities were well organized and interesting. The location of the dinning room is splendid, close to the sea. We can eat overlooking the sea. A beautiful Spanish language trip and Cuban culture immersion.
L. L., Canada

A really nice stay! A complete program with various and enjoying activities! My Spanish skills have been improved. All was done in a friendly atmosphere and in a beautiful location.
S. L., Canada

I loved my Spanish immersion trip to Cienfuegos. The teachers are very competent and very devoted. Excursions and activities are all interesting. The room is very clean and comfortable with a balcony and an ocean view. The only drawback is the food which is not really varied. But everything else made me forget that drawback.
S. B., Canada

For those who want to learn Spanish in a dynamic way and "made to measure", immerse oneself in the Cuban-Spanish culture and discover Cuba from the inside, this is the ideal trip!
S.S-L., Canada

Congratulation to the teachers and the whole staff of the hotel Faro Luna!
L., Canada

April 2005 in Cuba: Magnifico! Devoted, professional and likeable teachers! Excursions well organized. An extraordinary group! Tears at the end… only good memories. I recommend it for a good immersion in Spanish language and culture.
M.A.D., Canada

For the second year in a row I went to the Spanish immersion trip in Cienfuegos. Once again I came back delighted. I met again the exceptional team of teachers, generous and always worried to give all their best for the well being of our Spanish learning, in a friendly way. The hotel Faro Luna is a nice place to stay and the whole staffs is caring about our well being. As a habitual to the Spanish immersion trip in Cienfuegos I had special attention from the travel agency (VCC), the hotel and the teachers. I really appreciate that. What a nice way to learn the language and discover the people and their culture!
T. L., Canada

"We, a group of 24 Canadians, spent two weeks (March 2003) in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to study Spanish and the Cuban culture. The Spanish immersion trip was organized by Voyage Culture Cuba (VCC) of Montreal. This was my first visit in Cienfuegos. The two weeks were very busy with Spanish course in the morning, cultural activities in the afternoon, and some in the evening as well. The Spanish teachers were excellent and well prepared. I am very pleased with my improvements: I can now speak full sentences correctly. The other activities, including visits to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and the Botanical Garden were also well prepared and interesting. I liked the hotel, the meals, and the beach; they are an ideal combination for such a Spanish immersion program. I want to thanks Véronique and her associates for a job well done."
R. L., Canada

"I had a WONDERFUL time, one of the best experiences of my life. The instructors were excellent. Because of my own [teaching] background, I could be very critical of instructors, but the teachers were faultless. They were skilled and competent, knew their subject and appropriate methodologies well, and were very dedicated and devoted. They worked long hours, over and above what I expected (or what would normally be expected in Canada), and they were extraordinarily patient. They were warm, knew appropriate uses of humor to put people at their ease, but also demanded some disciplined work by the students. By the end of the three weeks, I felt confident that if I were dropped into a sea of strangers who spoke only Spanish, I could at least survive and even explain some pretty complicated thoughts. The hotel staff was excellent. With regard to regular activity, the staff in the dining room was very good, as were the folks at the reception desk. The housekeeping staff person in my area, Arilys, kept the rooms very clean and anticipated a number of day-to-day guest needs. The guys at the bar, José and Gendry, were -- like the instructors -- very patient and good humored, even when some guests (not our happy band, I'm glad to say) were less than good guests. The two Cubanacán guides on staff during various parts of my visit were helpful, knowledgeable, and anxious to oblige. Arvid César, who was the guide for the first two weeks, was particularly assiduous in overcoming problems and looking after us all when we were out and about. I should also comment on the musicians, EKWE. They were very good, and quite knowledgeable…. once my Spanish got good enough to ask a few questions about the background of the music! They were perfect for the course, because they were able to introduce and give some explanation as to the various styles of Cuban and Spanish music they played, and the salsa lessons were great fun. "
J. S., Canada

"I wanted to go on this Spanish immersion trip in Cienfuegos for a long time. I came back delighted! We received a warm welcome. The teachers and the hotel staff introduced themselves, which made us comfortable when we arrived at Faro Luna. Not to mention the teaching we received! I feel quite privileged of being part of the class taught by Mr. Ernesto Lombard Suarez. What an extraordinary teacher! He is patient, gentle, has a good way of teaching and is very cultured. During the excursions he was the guide for the students and he passed his love of Cuba on to us. I was surprised to see that I could communicate in Spanish with the teachers and the hotel staff after only a few days of teaching. And they understood me! It was an experience beyond my expectations.
I hope VCC will continue these trips for a long time. Thank you for the good service."
S. T., Canada

"I come back from Cienfuegos. I enjoyed that wonderful trip so much last year that I wanted to treat myself again this year but this time for a month. I was not disappointed. I had the feeling of coming back to see “my family” again. I also received some privileges for being a “loyal client”. I met the teachers again, with a lot of emotion. Their competence, devotion, endless availability and above all their great humanity “impressed” me as much as the first time. They are always paying attention to our suggestions. Thanks to this team of teachers we (some students of our group) are thinking of coming back again next year. I was happy to see again the energy, the generosity and the performance of the musical group “EKWE” as well as the patience of Niguiar Rodriguez in our salsa classes. The cultural evening in Cienfuegos was highly appreciated. The choir was particularly warm and moving. The evening at Palmira was unforgettable. I heard about Afro-Cuban religions (Santeria) but I didn’t know about its divinities “Orishas”. We were at a ceremony. Last year I had a good memory of Ana (our guide). This year I saw here with great pleasure. She is always competent and generous in organizing excursions. I liked Arvid too. He has a good knowledge of the places we visit. I cannot forget the hotel staff, at the reception, the bar, the dining room, the swimming pool, the chambermaids, the security and the bus drivers always ready to help us in Spanish conversation and other stuff. VCC can be “proud” to offer such a Spanish immersion program."
R. C., Canada

"This Spanish immersion was very instructive for me. I appreciated the way the teachers taught Spanish. It is done seriously and with pleasure. They are attentive, generous and respect our rhythm, “one step at a time”. The location of the hotel is magnificent and the hotel is very nice, clean and comfortable. The whole hotel staff is nice, affable and very helpful. In addition to the pleasure of learning in these wonderful conditions we literally fall in love with this island and its inhabitants. We want to know more about its history with the excursions, the explanations of the teachers and as we advance in the program an obvious interest is growing. The group of students we formed was very pleasant and we developed friendships after this trip…"
M. L., Canada

"I spent two extraordinary weeks in Cienfuegos! The Spanish immersion program was for me fascinating and even bewitching. We had a nice accommodation, we were very well surrounded and our teachers were devoted and likeable. Our teacher Danilo was incredibly patient with us. The hotel, the activities planned in the program, the musical evenings, the excursions in the weekend, the teachers, the staff at the hotel, the enchanting scenery, and the Cubans, everything delighted me so much that I want to feel this experience again! My initiation to the Spanish language was gently made as I was at the real beginning but I also had a lot of work to do. The courses were well structured and we often had the occasion to exchange with the hotel staff. I can tell you that I learnt a lot from these people and I come back home with an interesting knowledge. See you maybe next year with a little more Spanish. Thank you for everything!"
A. D., Canada

"I just want to tell you that I am one of the students who came back from Cienfuegos on January 30. It was my second time and I still enjoyed the experience of combining Spanish immersion with the sun the beach and the music (of the excellent and relented group EKWE) of Cuba. It was an opportunity to meet new people, see the teachers again who are very nice, competent and available and also Ana, who gave a remarkable service."
J. C., Canada

"I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed my trip to Cuba. It was my second time with VCC and the wonderful Cuban teachers. I can only praise them. They are excellent with us. I want to thank Ernesto, Raquel, Isol, Emilia and Danilo. The hotel is magnificent and the staff is really warm. Arvid Cesar, the guide was really helpful. See you next year!"
H. L., Canada

"I had a wonderful trip in Cuba. The Spanish immersion trip to Cienfuegos made me discover fully a different and very interesting culture. The welcome at the hotel was up to my expectations. It is clean, with room service, service at the bar and the dining room. All the staff was cheerful and was there to meet my needs. The program is just right. The teachers are excellent and are totally devoted. The activities and the excursions are interesting and instructive. I will come back and recommend the program. I learnt to communicate more easily in Spanish."
R. C., Canada

"I had a wonderful tip and this stay was a really nice experience for me. As far as the program, the courses and the teachers are concerned, I can only praise them. My teacher, Ernesto, managed to make the class really interesting and stimulating. I was able to discover and appreciate Cuban life and culture while practicing and learning verb tenses. The three and a half hour of courses in the morning went really fast and I must admit that I realized that I was making progress. During our excursions with the group the presence of the teachers increased our learning of the Spanish language as well as our knowledge of Cuban culture and the tourist sites.
The hotel Faro Luna was very nice as far as the location or the staff is concerned. Rooms were very comfortable. The staff also collaborated in the program. They corrected us when we spoke Spanish with them, which increased our knowledge and gave a nice and friendly aspect to this program. The food was well presented and everything was clean. The only negative side was that the meals were often the same and sometimes it was not really hot. When all the stay is spent in a perfect atmosphere we forget these little unpleasant things. We can’t forget also that it is a three star hotel. The value was highly justified and respected. Thanks again to all the team and I hope that these cultural trips will go on for a long time."
F. C., Canada

"I really appreciated my Spanish immersion trip in Cuba. I stayed at the hotel Faro Luna for a month and I was pleasantly surprised of the service and the courtesy of all the hotel staff. The program including courses and excursions is in my opinion a very good combination. I want to emphasize on the very good job of all the teachers and especially Ernesto. Their good-natured character and their competence made this trip very instructive and pleasant, as far as the courses or the excursions are concerned. I really appreciated their sense of humor and their generosity. I envisage to go back next year but for a longer period, two to three months."
G.P., Canada

"It is already a week since we came back from our Spanish immersion program, which was really appreciated and carried us away. We were delighted by this kind of trip and will recommend it to those who want to live this Spanish immersion in a quiet place favorable to the study of the Spanish language. We were satisfied with all the organization: the teachers (our teacher was Ernesto Lombard Suarez) are great from all points of views (human, competent, with huge flexibility and availability, ambassador of their country, good knowledge of our own culture, with a special touch to correct us, and a huge sensibility). Of course we spent most of our time with Ernesto and the description I gave applies especially to him. The other students will certainly agree with our description and apply it to their teacher. Ernesto is a great teacher, man of hart and poet. We also appreciated its knowledge of the history of his own country as well as our history. We were satisfied with the hotel services. The excursions are extraordinary and present all the aspects of the Cuban life. The teachers are always there and the students can have additional explanations at their own level of conversation. It is a very good idea and the professionalism of the teachers can also be seen during these excursions.
We thank you and will probably go back one day to Cienfuegos to perfect our knowledge of the Spanish language."
C. F. & R. G., Canada

"I have a very good opinion of the Spanish program in Cienfuegos. This course requires discipline of participation, attention and goodwill but it is also relaxed and active. I appreciated. The teachers are always in shape in the morning and responsible for the needs of their students. My teacher Ernesto Lombard is very responsible, cultured, disciplined and flexible in its teaching. I really appreciated him. Thanks Ernesto for your patience. The food was not really diversified but very healthy and kept in a cold place, and no turista. Good! The staff is in the forefront of tourism, honorable people, without any material wealth but clean, secure and proud of its country. Bravo!
Thank you VCC for your cultural organization. Next year I will have my feet in Cuba."
A-M. G., Canada

"I was completely satisfied with the entire experience. The teachers were excellent. They were so dedicated; they would start before nine if we wanted and carried on after twelve if we chose. There was only one other student in Beginners II. The teachers attended all the activities and were fun to be with. The excursions were well organized; they departed on time, every time. The buses were beautiful, executive type. The excursions were very interesting and varied. I would recommend VCC to anybody and have spoken positively to many people already. I would do it again next winter. And I am continuing my Spanish in Toronto. I can now speak in (broken) Spanish."
L.A., Canada

Here is the class, two students in Beginners II, with Isol as the teacher.

" My two weeks in Cienfuegos (Faro Luna) in the context of the Spanish immersion trip were very enriching. On the one hand we have the pedagogical quality characterizing the teachers who are profoundly human, and on the other hand we experience a magnificent coordination of the courses, excursions, activities and musical shows (noteworthy is the group EKWE performing at the hotel every day not only during supper but often later on in the evening). All this had allowed me to initiate my learning of the Spanish language. I also learned a lot from the people there: culture, history, politics, music, dancing and, well, …. just the love of life. As far as I am concerned, it is a culture to learn about and I hope to return to the magnificent environment of beach, sun and the Cuban smiles. Thank you so much, and please carry on your marvellous project."
A.L., Canada

" Our immersion trip was most pleasant. The teachers are friendly, efficient and very professional. The small number of people per class is most helpful in learning. The hotel staff is always ready to assist the students in Spanish language conversation. The hotel is very well situated, near the sea. The rooms are clean, large and comfortable. The cuisine is well prepared with typical Cuban meals."
J.G. and N.G., Canada

" I recommend anyone to take a month of Spanish immersion as I did in Cienfuegos. The competent professors surround us very well, generously providing their time in order to organize the cultural and recreational activities. The teachers' never-ending good humour and omnipresence was really something out of the ordinary. Hotel Faro Luna is a little jewel built right on the sea. The meals were well presented and very satisfactory. As a 78 year-old retired person, I experienced an exceptional month in Cuba. I felt in security and made a lot or progress in the learning of the Spanish language. I am very proud of the two diplomas that I have earned through these language trips in Cienfuegos and I am going to return in 2003."
M.S., Canada

" My Spanish immersion trip was very positive. I have to admit that I found it very intensive. As far as the courses every morning during the week-days, they were excellent: good teaching method and a very competent teacher, always available to help us, providing us the stimulation not only to learn on the spot, but to continue learning after our return home. The activities and excursions are very enriching and allowed us to familiarize ourselves with Cuban culture, of which my knowledge was previously very superficial. I would really like to re-live this experience. Perhaps next year! In any case, I hope I can return. See you again."
M.L., Canada

" We would like to thank all concerned for the excellent way in which the course was organized. We were most impressed by the teaching staff, the cultural activities and the excursions. The experience was even beyond our expectations! Though this was our fourth trip to Cuba, we have returned with so much more insight than we previously had into the culture.We would certainly recommend this program to friends, and would hope to return ourselves some time. We felt that for a one star hotel Faro Luna had many excellent features, such as the beautiful location, convenience to the city, and friendly service."
J. and D. R., Canada

“I have recently participated in a Spanish immersion course in Cienfuegos. I am now back at home in Vancouver. I learned a lot during my stay thanks to the competence, the quality and the dedication of the professors. I hold a great deal of admiration for the school coordinator Ernesto Lombard Suarez. Not only did he organize the interesting excursions and cultural activities, but he was always on the spot to solve any problem and answer our questions. I very much liked my teacher Raquelita as well. Being a teacher myself, I appreciated her teaching techniques and her special way of lending importance to each and every member of the group. My stay at Faro Luna will remain engraved in my memory forever.”
M.B., Canada

“I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed my vacation in Cuba. It truly was a cultural experience what with the language training, excursions/activities (such as concerts, botanical gardens) as well as the trip to Trinidad.”
E.W., Canada

“The combination of beach holiday, study, and exposure to Cuban culture is a winning one.”
C. M., Canada

" Sometimes I would sit in class thinking about how lucky I was to have come back with Voyage Culture Cuba (VCC) to this beautiful island of Cuba to experience the music, the people, the friendships with the teachers and other students, all while having so much fun learning and speaking Spanish. I can't wait to go back again."
L. H., , Canada

" Spanish language training in the Caribbean, at a resort, by the sea. VCC knows its stuff and delivers what it promises. We had two weeks in the sunshine of Cuba and enjoyed all the amenities of a happy, but not-crowded, Cuban sea side resort. But best of all, since we had come to brush up on our Spanish, was the intimate and professional language training school, situated within the hotel. We explored the local cities of interest, went to the mountains and hills, gorges and lakes, visited villages and witnessed village life, including primary education and village medical centres at work."
A. S., Canada

" For two first-time travelers to Cuba, VCC's Spanish Immersion Program at Hotel Faro Luna was a great way to go. We had the opportunity to study Spanish with some first-rate teachers, and in the process, develop a greater understanding and appreciation of Cuban history, society, and culture.... We're already looking forward to our next trip to Cuba with VCC!"
U.S.A

" The language trips make for an extraordinary personal enhancement. While the trip allows us to learn the Spanish language thanks to a team of fully devoted, involved and competent professors, we also have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Cuban culture in such a way that it is naturally linked to our activities. The friendships that are developed amongst the participants and with the Cubans clearly show that this type of foreign language trips enriches us and leave us with one notion.... and that is to return!"
J-Y. M., Canada

" VCC has worked out an excellent formula offering Spanish Immersion which is at one and at the same time fruitful and pleasant, given the visits, excursions and discussions."
Jacques Hébert
Retired Senator, Canadian Parliament, author,
Montreal, Quebec

" I would like to mention the great satisfaction which the group of 38 people recruited by the Gerontology Academy of the Ottawa-Hull area experienced during the Spanish Immersion classes, thanks to the representatives of Voyage Culture Cuba and Caribe Sol. The professionalism of the team which took care of us during our two weeks stay allowed us to obtain the objective of this trip, even more so than we had expected!"
Carole Lagacé, Travel Coordinator,
Gerontology Academy of the Ottawa-Hull Region,
Hull, Quebec

" This hotel facility has a spectacular beach. Its proximity to Cienfuegos, a charming city of much historical interest, makes Faro Luna a good choice for those interested in experiencing the best of both worlds...peaceful countryside and urban night life. The teaching staff is outstanding."
U.S.A.

Spanish Immersion / Discover Cuba Cienfuegos
(Faro Luna near the beach)